The Shadows of What Used to Be
by Shadowed Hunter
Summary: Mai is walking home by herself when she is attacked by a child spirit. Is she being targeted, or is there some deeper meaning to this? And why does this child keep calling her mom? What's going on! On hold.
1. Fall Festival Gone Wrong

**A/N: Wow, that took me what seems like FOREVER to write. Revieeewww. **

Flashback ~

_ A slight tickling sensation at the base of my throat sends shivers up my spine. A groan escapes my lips, and I flop over onto my stomach. Letting out a huge, defeated sigh, I lift my head to glance at my neon pink and green alarm clock. It's 3:25am... waaay to early. Sleepily, I flip onto my back, my chestnut brown hair, tied into a braid, tickles my cheek._

_"Sweetie," a hoarse voice whispers, "I'm so sorry, sweetie,"_

_The voice sounds familiar, but I couldn't quite pin point it. Suddenly my eyelids begin to feel heavy again as sleep tries to pull me back in. I suck in a breath, and try to keep my eyes open, I didn't want to go back to sleep just yet. Then I felt it again. A slight caress at the base of my throat. Shooting my eyes open from the feeling of being tickled I see a woman standing there. A mixture of surprise and fear coarse through my veins as I shoot out of bed, backing against my headboard._

_"Sweetie?" the voice whispers again._

_Oh. It was just mom... no wonder the voice was so familiar. Mom's golden hair glowed faintly in my dark room, along with her pastel pink nightgown. Mom? I was just about to ask, What are you doing in here? Then I noticed the expression written on her face. Mom's usual brilliant blue eyes now looked dull and void of any trace of happiness, only shining with traces of un-shed tears. Her pudgy cheeks were stained with tracks of tears she had just recently shed, "Mom?!" I exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief, "What's wrong?" Quickly throwing my plain grey comforter that dad got for me while shopping off from on top of me, I rocked onto my knees and pulled mom into a tight hug, which she accepted greedily. "Tell me what's wrong, mom," I soothed._

_I felt her shake her head, her short golden hair falling around my head in some sort of twisted prison. A loud, hitched sob escaped her lips and she hugged me tighter. My lungs felt crushed, but it didn't matter, ever since dad died mom had always been acting aloof, she needed this, and I was there to give it to her. "You wouldn't understand," she sobbed, burying her face in the crook of my neck. Clutching my white pajama shirt between her fingers, she cried out in a mix of frustration and sobs, "No one understands!"_

_"Sssh," I soothed, stroking the back of her head, "I understand, you can talk to me," Mom was now trembling in my arms, trembling so violently that I had to lock my arms around her to keep her from falling onto the floor._

_"No, you don't!" she screamed, knocking me back against the bed so hard I was seeing stars. She fixed her position above me so she was straddling my hips. My breath hitched as I gazed up at her, now partially in fear, "Nobody understands!" Removing her hands from around the small of my back, she trailed them up my stomach, resting them lightly above my Adams Apple. Then her voice dropped into an eerily amused whisper, "And that's why they all must die... why all of them need to die," she laughed at me sadly, "And Annie dear, you'll be the first to go,"_

_"Mom?!" I exclaimed, worry mixing in with my voice, but the woman who was now above me was not my mother. Her beautiful blue eyes were now red from crying, and her perfect, plush lips were bleeding from biting them so hard, and the most unsettling thing about her was her smile. It wasn't a happy smile, but a creepy, sad smile. "Mom, stop this! Let me go!" The second I felt her knuckles press into my throat, I began to buck my hips and thrash below her, "Get off me!" I screamed, voice hoarse since she was slowly choking me. A slight stinging behind my eyes told me I was about to cry, and sure enough, I felt cool tears making their way down my cheeks. I thrashed and I cried, but mom wasn't loosening her grip. Finally I gave up. My lungs were burning, and my brain felt like it was going to explode. I tried looking up towards where my mom sat, crying also, but it was no use, my vision was failing. Little specks of light danced before my eyes as I lay there dying. Is this really how my life was supposed to end? I was supposed to graduate elementary, then high school, find a boy, fall in love and maybe even get married before I died. I can't die. I'm too young. Sure enough, darkness began to tug my body down deeper into the black oblivion I could only describe as death. The last thing I heard was a loud gurgle like thing spew from my mouth, then I went numb. Then the pain went away._

End of flashback~

Little balls of multi-colored light danced in front of my eyes as we entered the festival. Me, Monk, Ayako, John, and Masako were all attending the annual 'Fall Festival' this year. Well, Monk and John didn't really have a choice this time around, Ayako and I made sure of that. Only Naru and Lin didn't attend, both claiming that they were 'busy'. Yeah, right. This year, the main part of the festival took part on main street, then stretched onto smaller side streets, then finally rested in Pangoo Park. Excitement raced through me like a bullet as I took in the glorious sight before us. Vendor's lined the sides of the street calling out their prices and deals to nearby people, selling all sorts of extravagant things, things going from all sorts of food and cooking supplies to goldfish and stone Buddha's. Some seller's even went as far as to dress up as their product. With a small laugh, I saw a man dressed up as a squid, waving at passer-by's. The thing that first that caught my attention, though, was the amount of people who attended this year. Hundreds of men, women, and children wandered the streets so tightly that they couldn't take two steps without bumping into someone else. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into my two best friends here. In fact, I bet they'd murder me for not attending with them. Christmas lights were looped around nearby buildings, stretching across the street, so many of them that even in the pitch dark, it would be almost as bright as mid-day.

I felt John shift nervously beside me, since he originated from Australia, he never got the chance to attend a festival at all. That was not acceptable. Ergo, he was dragged along. Actually, we would have dragged him along, immigrant or not. I quickly grabbed John's hand, who looked down at me in mild surprise, and tugged him along to the nearest vendor, which was a cart of apple tarts and chocolate-filled pancakes, "You _need_ to try these," I insisted, pulling out my wallet.

John looked down at me uneasily, "No, it's okay, I really do-"

A screechy, irritating voice cut him off, "Well, well, a nice young couple it seems!" the vendor was a tall woman with black hair so sleek it looked greasy. She wore a long green dress topped off with a cropped brown leather jacket that I would kill for, "What can I get you kiddies?" she smiled, eyes glinting with kindness and what looked like mischief.

John stared at her for a second, "We're not-"

This time I cut him off, which got me an annoyed glance, "Two pumpkin tarts and a strawberry filled pancake _pleeease_," I smiled, batting my eyes lashes at her just for fun.

"You got it!" she grinned. Flashing me a quick thumbs up, she turned on her heel and began rummaging at some machines in the back. An awkward silence settled over us. In no time, the woman handed us our wonderfully smelly food, and I handed her some cash.

"Good luck!" I called towards the lady before turning around, and handing John his pancake. John just sighed and accepted it.

Grabbing his hand, we cut through the crowd together back toward where we had ditched everyone else. Arriving at the entrance, we found Monk and Ayako standing there, apparently Masako had run off to some other vendor, chasing down a '_brilliant purple scarf'_ she saw. They weren't angry, but Monk just gave a soft shake of his head and reminded me in a mutter to not go running off on my own.

"Well," Ayako declared, giving a dainty clap of her hands, "What do you say we hit the stands?" she flashed a smile at Monk, who looked away, a suspicious blush slightly tainting his cheeks.

"I'm game," I said, or _tried_ to say, since my mouth was full of pumpkin tart it came out as "_Om gonm,"_ that got me a bunch of curious stares. Swallowing my mouthful I tried again, "I'm game," I said again.

Ayako gave a little jump of glee, John gave a small grunt since he was in the middle of eating also, and Monk just gave a pained groan. We set off.

xXx

I groaned, clutching my churning stomach, "I ate too much," I muttered, leaning my weight against Monk's strong shoulder. I really did eat too much, usually I'm not too conscious about my weight, but tomorrow I'm _definitely_ going to have to work out a little bit.

Monk put his arm around me, helping me walk. Was it just me or did Ayako shoot him a jealous look? "Idiot," he muttered softy to me, "I told you not to eat that last piece of pie,"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "In my defense it was a _damn good_ piece of chocolate pie," And it was.

Masako, who had eventually found us again in the chaos again, shook her head disapprovingly, "Honestly Mai, this is why you'll be fat when you grow up," I narrowed my eyes at her, but decided not to say anything and ruin my happy, but sick, mood right now.

"Over here," Ayako said, pointing to a cluster of picnic tables, most of which, were full.

Settling down on the cracked green bench, I hoisted my bags of treasures up onto the table and dumped them on the table, (Except the food). I saw Ayako frown from across from where I sat.

Reaching out, she picked up a cute teddy bear I found, "Do you really need this?" she chastised, examining it.

I flashed her a wolf grin, which quickly cut off with a low groan as my stomach churned again. After my stomach settled, I replied; "Not really, but look at it! It's so cute!" It was cute! "Who couldn't resist buying a little purple bear with black button eyes and a little black bow tied around its neck?" I laughed.

Monk looked away, muttering a small 'me', and John snatched it out of Ayako's hands, examining it, "Well," he declared, "It is kind of cute,"

I blushed, looking down at the table, "Yeah, now give it back!" I snapped, leaning across the table to snatch the bear back, but immediately regretting it as my stomach churned again. I groaned again and plopped back down on the bench.

"Hey, are you okay?" John asked, looking at me with concerned eyes.

Monk agreed from beside me, placing his arm around me, "Yeah, little lady, you look pale,"

"I think I'm ganna hurl," I muttered, leaning against Monk's shoulder.

Monk's eyes widened, and he tried to push him off of me, "Well, don't hurl on me!" he exclaimed. I looked at him, amused, and pretend to hurl on his lap.

"Yeah," Ayako sighed, "I'm actually getting kind of tired, I think I'll hide back," she looked at me expectantly, "Want me to walk you to the entrance, Mai?"

I nodded, "Would you?"

xXx

Me, Ayako, and John all headed off together towards the entrance, Monk was also going to come, but Masako side tracked him saying there was something she absolutely _had_ to see and that she didn't want to go alone. And so, a reluctant and well built, protesting Takigawa was dragged off by the dainty famous medium.

It didn't take long until me, Ayako and John all met our destinations. My little home was opposite of Ayako and John's, so we split up. Me, walking by myself in the dead of night, hoping not to get jumped or worse, while lugging bags of goodies with me, and Ayako and John, peacefully walking together. Great, I'm going to die. Well, I guess my house isn't _too_ far from the festival, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Silently walking down the street by myself, I began contemplating on ways to defeat a robber if I got jumped. Option number one: I could take out my hand dandy taser I always kept in my purse and shock the hell out of him, but there is always the possibility that he'd be able to knock the taser out of my hands or pin me down so I wouldn't be able to grab it out of my purse. In that case, option number two: Blank. Damn. What the hell should I do if I got pinned down? I groaned, shaking my head. I should stop thinking about this, the more I think of it, the more I jinx myself, and a small girl like me probably wouldn't be able to handle herself against a buff robber. I stilled my thoughts for a moment, taking in everything around me with a blissful sigh. The only thing I could hear was the soft crunch of gravel beneath my shoes and the distant shouts, laughs, and music from the festival. My head pounded and my stomach churned, and _god_ I felt like crap.

I was just approaching my street corner when I felt a freezing breeze caress my face. Stopping dead, I rode out a very insisting shiver that ran up every part of my body. My teeth chattered loudly as the temperature dropped. _Sheesh,_ it's just the beginning of Autumn, and the weather outside already feels like winter. Then, as soon as it came, the breeze was gone, and a slow warmth spread through me. I frowned a bit, then shrugged it off, better not to question Mother Nature. I just turned the corner when I bumped square into someone, knocking me right off my feet and causing my already protesting stomach into an all out riot. I landed on my butt with a painful _thump_, hitting so hard I swore I saw stars. Ah, damn it. I felt a warm liquid on the back of my left thigh; I must've skimmed it when I fell. With my butt screaming in protest, I began to stand up. Taking a deep breath, I raised my head to see who I had bumped into, "I'm sor-" I began, but stopped abruptly. There was no one there. I frowned, maybe whoever I bumped into ran away? No, knowing me I just probably tripped. I glanced down towards my feet examining the area around me to see if I tripped over something, but I couldn't find anything except small pebbles. Giving another small shrug to no one in particular, I began to continue my walk again, sight locked on my small apartment building just ahead. My hands ached, pulsing as if they had a heartbeat of their own. Glancing down at them, I began to pick out small pieces of gravel that had gratefully embedded themselves in my warm flesh. Flicking the last pebble off, I felt someone grab my shoulder. Whirling around, I faced whoever had just grabbed me. It was a brick wall. How was that even possible? Maybe I was imaging it... I frowned, looking around again. Then I froze, the familiar cool hand that had grabbed my shoulder just moments ago, was grabbing it again. This time when I whirled around, the grip didn't subside, but when I looked there was nothing but a slight ripple in the air. My eyes widened, it couldn't be-. The grip dropped for a second, my shoulder now freezing from the spirits grip, then I felt the hand shove against my shoulder so hard I was sent airborne. I should've been glad I lived on an almost deserted side street, because I landed in the middle of it. I cried out as my forehead wacked against the street harshly, cringing when I felt the liquid pooling ther,e then feeling a slight sting from the cut it left behind. I gasped in pain, everything around me was spinning as I raised myself onto my arms. Quickening my breath, I sucked in a ragged breath. My whole body ached. Damn it. Creating the correct hand gesture, I began to recite the protecting spell Monk had taught me, "Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan, Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan, Naumaku-"

I broke off when a shrieking laugh cut off my words, "You really think that lame old protection spell will work on _me?" _Still gasping in pain, I looked up. A young girl stood there, she looked to be about seven years old. She had long chestnut brown hair braided off to one side, and was wearing a matching set of white flannel pajamas, "Foolish, mother," she laughed. Mother? "Now I'm going to do to you what you did to me!" she yelled.

Suddenly a wave of force slammed into me and knocked me onto my back, I gasped at the sudden impact, but quickly began to chant Monk's spell again, "Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan, Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan, Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan,"

"Did you not listen to what I just told you, _old woman?!"_ the child snapped, but I just ignored her and continued to my chant.

Next, moving onto the warding spell Ayako taught me, I began to make the correct finger slashes in the air with each syllable I spoke, " Rin... pyo... to... sha.. kai...jin... restu... zai... zen!"

_"Hey-_" I heard the child protest, but then she disappeared.

I had no doubt in my mind that that young girl would be back, and despite her age, she was dangerous. Groaning, I sat up and fished around in my jacket pocket for my phone... but it wasn't there. I had a quick second of panic until I saw it laying a few feet away from where I lay. Flipping onto my stomach, I painfully stretched out my body, finger tips brush the cool edge of my blue flip phone. Clenching my teeth against the pain, I stretched my body out further, feeling the burn rip through every centimeter of my flesh. I let out a gasp of relief when my shaking finger finally clutched the small phone. Grabbing it, I hastily opened it and began to search my contact list for any useful number. Scrolling down to **'TAKIGAWA HOSHO' **I clicked it. Bring my phone up to my ear, I bit my lip, listening for Monk's voice. It rang once, twice, three times. No answer. I tried again, it rang once, twice, thr-

"Hello?" Monk's voice spoke, statically into the receiver. I almost let out a sob of relief.

"Monk, help me!" I exclaimed into the microphone, "I'm on the street to my apartment, there's this-" suddenly a burning slap on the side of my face, sent my body toppling over sideways onto the pavement, phone flying out of my hand. Damn it!

"Mom!" I heard the child chastise from behind me, "You hurt me," she pouted.

My breath was coming hitched, the backs of my eyes began to burn from unshed tears, "I-I don't know what you want," I gasped out, "But I'm not your mother,"

_"Liar!"_ The child hissed, now materializing in front of me. I watched with wide eyes as she lifted up her left foot, then stomped down really hard on my side. I cried out in pain, but the child continued, "You can't fool me, mom. Just because you dyed your hair doesn't mean that you could easily fool the daughter you murdered in _cold blood_," I gasped, murdered her daughter in cold blood?! That's horrible. The child's high pitched laugh cut through my train of thoughts, "I can practically _feel _your fear," she glared at me, squatting down so I could see into her beautiful yet hatred filled brown eyes better, _"Pathetic bitch,"_ she spat. I stared in horror, did this little child just call me a _bitch_?!"I'm going to do to you _exactly_ what you did to me," she smiled eerily at me, then pushed me over suddenly onto my back. I cried out in pain, apparently my body was more sore and beat up than I thought it was. I stared at the child as she got on top of me in a straddling position. What the-. Her cool hands rested against my throat. Oh, my god... she's going to strangle me. And she did. Placing her fingers over top of my Adams Apple she pressed down, _hard._ I let out a strangled cry as my throat was slowly crushed, chest heaving for air.

A shout from beside us surprised us both, "MAI!" Monk's voice called. His sharp voice practically cut through the night itself as he began to recite his spell.

_"No!"_ the child cried, tightening her grip on my throat.

My lungs were burning now, screaming for air, but no matter how hard I thrashed or tried for air, none would come. I could feel the cold hands of death wrap around my arms to drag me under, tugging harder, but I refused to give in. Then I could breathe again. I gasped, sucking in a huge breath, the letting it back out. I did that a couple times, resting my hands across my throat. Distantly, I heard Monk's footstep running towards me, but all I cared about was the welcoming air that was now entering my burning lungs. I was alive. Monk saved me. I felt Monk's arms on my shoulders, slowly coaxing me up into a sitting position. My breathing was becoming more natural now.

"Mai!" he exclaimed, "Oh, my god, Mai! Are you okay?!"

I let out a weak laugh, "Not at all,"

He sighed, then hugged me, "Mai," he whispered. I buried my face into his chest, still fighting to hold back the tears from earlier, but it was no use. My sobs could be heard all over.

**A/N: Reviews are always acceptable :) And if you have any suggestions on what you think you would like to happen next, those are always good too. Hope you liked it!**


	2. Aftermath

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay there, had some issues to deal with.**

Loud beeping noises drew my eyes open, which were still protesting and sore from my lack of sleep. A bright light blinded my vision, shooting a quick migraine through me. Screwing my eyes shut, I attempting opening them again, this time keeping them open to focus on where I was. The last thing I remember from last night was crying into Monk's shoulder... where the hell was I?! Something hard but soft at the same time was beneath me. I wiggled uncomfortably on it. A papery-feeling dress was placed on me, and my usual clothes were gone. Finally, the torturing blinding light was clicked off and I could fully see where I was. Monk had brought me to a hospital last night after I passed out. A couple small wires were attached to my left inner elbow, giving me a little sting of pain, and a small white braclet was wrapped around my left wrist. My body was stiff and heavy, I could move it, but it took quite a bit of effort.  
"Mai?" A soft voice called.  
I groaned, tossing my head to the side. Ugh, it felt like every one of my limbs were on fire. A small itching feeling prodded my forehead and I slowly but surely lifted my hand up to scratch it, "Where am I?" I breathed around my pain.  
"Central Hospital, sweetie," the voice answered.  
Taking in my scenery, I could tell the core the of the soft voice was right. The uncomfortable thing I was laying on was none other than the hospital bed. Glancing beneath the thin pastel blue blanket, I saw that someone had changed me into a typical hospital gown and my typical clothes were god knows where. I took a deep breath then shifted my head to see beside me. Suddenly my vision went foggy and my head sank deeper into the thin pillow. I groaned as a wave of nausea washed over me. Okay, moving is a bad idea.  
"Careful!" The voice chastised.  
"Who are you?" I breathed, knitting my eyebrows together and biting my lower lip hard to keep the tears from springing forth.  
"My names Shelly, I'm your nurse,"  
"Oh," I mumbled, "Hi, Shelly,"  
Shelly chuckled beside me, "Hi," she mused. I felt a small pinch on one of my arms, and I jerked up, arching my back, "Sorry" she apologized sheepishly, "It's just a small needle," I blew out a breath, as I felt some sort of medicine flow into my body, then another prick that made me bite my lower lip. My eyes were heavy and tired, but I fought to keep them open, "I gave you a small dose of morphine to ease the pain,"  
I groaned, "I'm not going to go off the edge, am I?" I really didn't want to end up slurring my words together and talking about random crazy things.  
Apparently Shelly found that funny, and she let out a amused laugh, "No, I didn't give you that much," she promised.  
"Good," I smiled, or at least tried too, but I'm sure it turned out wobbly and Un-convincing.  
"You're friends are waiting just outside," Shelly informed, "If you're tired I can always tell them to come back later," she looked at me expectantly.  
"Um," The pain and slow ache was beginning to fade into a more numb feeling, "It's okay, you can send them in," Shelly nodded and I heard footsteps signalling she was leaving, but I called after her, "Wait! Could you do me a favour?" I asked.  
Shelly came into my view, "Sure, you name it," she smiled at me. I practically gaped at her, Shelly was one of the most beautiful young girls I had ever seen. She had golden blonde hair that was tucked up neatly into a sock bun, and topped off with a small traditional nurse's cap. Small plush pink lips smiled at me warmly, and her deep brown eyes were so intoxicating I could've stared into them for hours without saying anything.  
"Uh-" I began, "Could you, um, raise my bed up so I can sit?" I asked apologetically.  
She gave a curt nod, then walked to the small table that was apparently beside me. Grabbing a small grey controller and holding it out in front of me, she showed me how to incline and decline my bed. I thanked her as she re-arranged my pillow so it propped me up more, and she was just about to leave again when I called her back yet again, "Could I have another pillow?" I asked.  
"Yep!" She smiled, then walked out of the room to tell everyone that they could visit me.  
I waited there in a peaceful silence for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling. The pain had faded out into small pulsing feeling throughout my body, but besides that, from my toes up, I was completely numb. I closed my eyes for a second, and if it weren't for the sound of the door opening, I probably would have fallen asleep.  
Tearing my eyelids open, I saw everyone march in the room. Ayako, Monk, John, Naru, Lin, and even Masako entered, all trying their best to be quiet, "Guys," I sighed at them hoarsely, "Hey,"  
"Hey," Ayako soothed, striding across the room quickly to snag the only chair which was right beside my bed. Resting her hand over mine, she looked up at me in genuine concern, "How are you feeling?" She whispered.  
A short Un-amused laugh tore past my lips, "Like I just got hit by twenty dump trucks," Ayako smiled a little.  
"Mai," I heard monk call to me quietly. I'd have to thank Shelly later for telling the to keep their voices down, "Do you remember what happened?"  
My gaze lingered on Monk for a second, then travelled over everyone else. Everyone's, except Naru, faces showed a mixture of concern and relief. I pursed my lips and gave a soft shake of my head, "Sort of," I pondered, "I mean, I do, but I'm very tired right now, and not to mention that they injected me with some morphine so I'm sure I'll get most of the details wrong,"  
Naru straightened from the pole he was leaning against, giving me a small, curt, nod, he began; "Yes, well, I'm sure whatever happened was a freak accident. But for now, you should get some rest,"  
I sighed deeply, "Yeah," my eyes were already half closed anyways, "Unless any of you have some tape to keep my eyes open," I joked.  
Naru regarded me with glittering eyes, "Very well then," he turned to leave, "I'll be back in the morning," I smiled at him as he turned and left, Lin hot on his trail.  
Everyone else stayed put, which was kind of a bummer, I really wanted to get to sleep. The door opened again and Shelly walked back into the room quietly, a fresh pillow tucked under her left arm, "Thanks," I tossed her a lazy half smile.  
"No problem," she smiled back at me. I felt her tiny warm hands on my back as she carefully pushed me forward to slip the new pillow behind me. When she finished, I settled back in. Much better. Shelly dropped a small, grey gadget in my lap. It was tiny, oval shaped with a small tube snaking out of it, obviously connected to something. A large red button was stationed in the center. Shelly pointed to the button, "If you ever need me, push that button. It'll send a signal to my monitor," to prove her point, she pressed it with a long, pale finger and a few seconds later a loud beep tore through the silence. Snaking her hand into her pants pocket,she pulled out a bulky white monitor with a large antenna sticking out the top. She pressed a button or two, then the beeping stopped.  
I nodded confidently, "Got it," I assured her.  
"Hey," Monk interjected, "Can one of us stay with Mai tonight?" He asked Shelly, "For security purposes,"  
Shelly turned and cocked an eyebrow at Monk, "Security purposes?" She asked.  
Monk visibly bit his lower lip, obviously contemplating on whether to tell her or not. Coming to his conclusion, he shook his head, "Sorry, but I can't tell you. It's a personal matter,"  
I watched Shelly incline her head disapprovingly, "I see, well, as long as you don't disturb that patient 'one' of you staying the night should be fine," then she shot me a quick, worried look, "As long as it's okay with Mai, of course,"  
I gave a small huff, "Yeah, I guess," Shelly nodded at me, tossed one last disapproving glance towards Monk who returned it, then exited the room.  
"So," Masako began, Masako had been so quiet I had almost forgotten she was there, "Who's staying?"  
Immediately Monk shot his arm up, "I will," he declared.  
"Now, just wait a minute," Ayako challenged, "Let's think about this for a second, who would protect Mai the best?"  
I tapped my chin, examining everyone, "With this, honestly, probably either Monk or John,"  
John shrugged, "I'm fine with whatever,"  
"So it's settled," Monk laughed, clapping his hands together, "I'm staying,"  
"Okay," I agreed, "But if you wake me up there will be hell to pay," Monk smiled, and pinched his fingers over his lips. I raised an eyebrow at him, then laughed.  
Ayako stood up beside me, "Good night, Mai," she whispered, leaning over to brush her lips across my forehead. I smiled sleepily at her, then her, John, and Masako all left.  
I looked over to Monk who was making his way over to the chair Ayako had just occupied. He sat himself down, then looked up at me, offering me a small smile, "Sweet dreams, Mai,"  
I gazed at him for a second, too tired to say anything back. Resting my head back against the pillows I let out a deep sigh then closed my eyes. I fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

Mai's dream~

'_Mainstream rock pulsed through my ears as the car sped down highway 17, closing in on the Salt Stone Bridge. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, silently watching my knuckles turn white. Anger swirled like a storm in the pit of my stomach, blurring any and all reasonable thoughts I had. Harshly biting the inside of my lower lip, I sped up, driving over top of the ramp leading up to the bridge. Checking my review mirror quickly, I saw a flash of something orange whiz by. Frowning, I glared into the mirror, trying to make out what it was I saw. The car bumped up roughly, nearly throwing me out of my seat, "Shit!" I hissed, yanking on the wheel. It swerved violently, throwing my body to the side of the door. I grunted at the impact, feeling a slight sting in my left shoulder. I'm ganna feel that later... It took a second, but I was able to get the car back under my control. Glancing over, I realized that the car had hit one of the bridges safety barricades. I scoffed, shaking my head, 'that's what I get for not paying attention' I mentally scorned myself.  
An ear splitting honk from behind me jolted my attention, what was this asshole's problem? I glared into the review mirror, but everything was tilted. "What the fuck?" I muttered to no one in particular.  
Butterflies erupted in my stomach, and my eyes widened so much they hurt. It couldn't be... Another harsh jolt sent me flying out of my seat, smacking my head dizzily on the roof of my car. My chest heaved, taking in as much air as I could possibly manage. The car was going in a nose dive off of the bridge. A loud, masculine scream tore through my throat as I frantically looked around for something to hang onto. Eyeing the pop-down handle above the door, I held on for dear life.  
A loud smack rang through my ears as the tip of the car made contact with the rapidly flowing water of the East River. I cried out as the impact forced me out of my seat and flying into the the steering wheel. My head was about to make contact when the air bags flew into action. A hard cushion erupted around my face with a loud hissing noise, my face stung from the impact. The cushion slammed me back into the seat at a dizzying force. I sat there for a second, panting.  
A freezing sensation dwindled at my ankles and I realized that the water had already started entering the car. A sob struck in my throat as I frantically tried to pat down the air bag that was now beginning to suffocate me. I tried anything I possibly could to get the airbag to power down, but so far nothing was working. Drawing my lips back, I bit down hard on the thick material, but nothing happened, the cloth was way too thick for my teeth to penetrate. Suddenly an idea flashed before me, and I painfully reached down with my left arm to grip the seats adjustment lever. My fingers slid over it a couple times before I was able to get a firm grip on it. Slowly easing the seat back, I welcomed the air that began to re-enter my lungs. I took a few deep breaths, then began to squirm my way out of the seat belt. The air bag was so tight against me that every move hurt,with each twist of my hips or a jerk of my legs a fiery pain would shoot through me, sending the tears that I suppressed for so long to surface. I cried out in frustration as the muscles in my right leg stretched as I tried to wiggle it free.  
The ice cold water was now just below my knees, and rising quickly. A sob ripped past my parted lips, I couldn't die here. I have a wife and child, what'll they do without me?! No! I CAN'T die, and I WON'T. Finger finding the adjustment lever again, I laid the seat down at its max, freeing me from my hips up. I tried wiggling my hips, but the pain ripped through me again so I began a different tactic. I began to slowly sit up. Fire screamed through my veins, my nerves begging me to stop, but I didn't. Painfully raising my arms, I began to shove the air bag backwards with all the force I could muster. Slowly it began to move back, freeing more and more of my pinned body. I pushed it back, holding it with one arm, and using the other to heave my legs out from beneath it. Whatever idiotic company that invented this type of airbag is going to get a mouthful outta me, that's for sure! Suddenly the airbag began to slowly deflate. I groaned in sheer agony and bliss as the weight was released off my aching legs. A shiver shot through my body as I realized the water was now at my waist. Okay. Next is the seat belt. Right hand clumsily sliding over my body, I found the attachment for the seat belt. Pushing it down with two fingers, the belt popped free. I let out a shaky sigh, I'm this far, I can do this. The belt began to retreat off of my body, and I grinned a shaky smile, but quickly dropped it when the seat belt got snagged on one of my belt loops. Damn it! I_ _sat up again, painfully fingering where a piece of thread from the seat belt found its self a nice home, nestled around my belt loops. With a low growl, I snapped the cord in half, and the belt quickly retreated the rest of the way. Okay, I got this. Sitting up, I tested wiggling my legs, but only gained another shot of pain that made me clutch my leg and bite my lip, muffling my cry of pure agony. Damn it, this is no time to feel pain. Okay, on the count of three I'll scrunch my legs up and move towards the back. My eyes began to water, "One..." I croaked out. Taking a few shallow deep breaths I continued, "Two...". I bit my lower lip, and screwed my eyes tight against the pain that would surely come, "Three!". Painfully bending my knees, I screamed out in white hot pain, then pushed myself off of the bottom of the drivers seat, and landed successfully on the back seat. I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing going ragged and shallow. It felt like someone had just torn my legs right off. A few more tears slipped past my eyes. Okay, the next thing I had to do had to be quick or I would surely die. Clenching my teeth I mentally began to count to three again. One... Two... I took another deep breath, slowly bring my legs up, Three! I kicked out at the back door with as much force as I could muster, but only loosened it on it's hinges. Freezing water began to spray in through the cracks I had just made. I mentally swore at myself, maybe this wasn't the best plan, but there was no time to back out now. Repeating the counting idea, I thrust my legs out and kicked out the door again, and this time it ripped off of it's hinges. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to become completely submerged.  
There was water everywhere. Above me, below me, beside me, and worst of all, in my lungs. Water rushed into the car, quickly filling it up in no time what-so-ever. A muffled grunt escaped my lips as I pushed off of the edge of the car and into the river. Bad idea. Before I could even begin to swim to the surface, the current had whipped me off my feet and sent me flying down the river. Violently I stroked with my arms and kicked out painfully with my legs, but to no degree. This was it. This was how I was going to die. No. Stop thinking like that, Alexander. You will survi-. Something rock solid and sleek with moisture whipped against my head, turning everything into a screaming hot pain, then it was just dark. No more pain._

End of dream~

My eyes flew open in fear. Quick, loud gasps made my body shake as persistent trembles racked my whole body. I clutched the thin white sheets between my fingers tightly as I fought to fend off the on coming storm of tears. I had just witnesses another horrible death. I held back the the tears until I was sure that the back of my eyeballs would practically burn off. Tears spilled over my cheeks, load after load, warm and sticky, leaving trails in it's wake. A loud sob past my lips, and I curled up into a small ball on my side, trying to block out all thoughts of that dream.  
A small, sleepy groan made me bite my lip to stay quiet. Monk was sitting in the chair beside my tiny cot still, but he was resting his head on the edge of the bed, quiet snores dying down. Taking a deeper breath I attempted stilling my sobs. My chest burned.  
But it was no use, Monk raised his head, bringing two fists to his face to gently rub out the sleep, "Hmm?" He mumbled, rolling his neck. Then he turn to face me. Monk's eyes widened, "Mai!" He exclaimed, "What's wrong?!" Promptly, Monk leaned over the bed and wrapped his strong arms around me as I trembled, "Shhh," he whispered. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, hoping to relinquish all thoughts of that dream, "Are you in any pain?" He asked softly, hands moving in a slow caress on my back.  
A loud, hitched sob bounced my chest up against his, "Monk," I sobbed, hugging him back burying my face in his strong shoulder, "I was so sc-," my voice cracked and my words trailed off.  
"Shhh," Monk soothed, deepening his hands caress, "It was just a dream," he whispered, breath fanning across my shoulder, "You're okay, you're okay," My sobs filled the room.  
We stayed like that for a while, desperately clinging to each other until the door to my private room was flung open. A man who looked to be in his early twenties stormed into the room, undoubtedly because he had heard my sobs, "What happened?!" He demanded, "Is everyone okay?!"  
I felt Monk loosen his grip around me as he looked up to peer at the intruder, "Yeah, we're fine, no need to worry," but the man still looked unconvinced. I sniffed, pulling back from Monk to face the man, my eyes red and blotchy. He stiffened when my gaze met him.  
I offered the man a wobbly smile, "Just a bad dream," I assured.

**A/N: So, What did ya think? :) That was kind of a short one..**


	3. Grocery Store Horrors

**A/N: Sorry if there are any delays posting these chap's. Got a lot of stories to keep up with!**

"A car crash?" Naru asked, voice skeptical.

I nodded, bring my tea cup to my lips and taking a nice, long leisurely sip before replying, "Yeah, a pretty nasty one too,"

I watched Naru chew on his lower lip, "And you think this is connected to the child?"

I shrugged, "I dunno. But what I find freaky is that the girl kept calling me mom," Setting my cup down on the small plate with a loud clatter, I continued on, "What I think it may be is that the child spirit is lost and is trying to find her mom? But even if that were true, that wouldn't explain the man who died in the car crash,"

Silence stretched around SPR's lounging area. Everyone except John (who was off on another case) had gathered at SPR headquarters to discuss this topic. If this really was true, and I was being haunted by a child poltergeist, and a strong one at that, I would definitely need some sort of protection.

Monk nodded from the couch beside me, "It's possible that the man from the car crash had some relation to the child,"

Knitting my eyebrows together, I looked up at Naru, who was still standing there, chewing his lip, "Or maybe the two incidents aren't even related?" I offered.

"No," Lin's stern voice brought a small shocked silence over everyone, usually he never spoke during these meetings. Actually, usually he barely even spoke at all, "You had this dream only about half a day after you were attacked, right? Maybe this _girl_," he spat the word girl like it was acid, "uses other means to harm people,"

I frowned, still not quite understanding, but before I could say anything, Ayako replied, talking slowly, "Well, that would make this all the more dangerous for Mai, especially with her clairvoyance and all that,"

Naru nodded, "That's true," he agreed.

Okay, now I was completely lost, "Wait!" I snapped, holding my hands out, "I'm confused, what about using other means to harm me?"

Naru turned his irritated navy blue eyes back on me, making me cringe back in my chair, "We think that maybe the child could take advantage of your abilities and mess around in your mind a little bit,"

I froze, he was kidding right? "So, if the child did put the car crash dream in my head-," I stopped abruptly before snapping, "Hey, wait! We don't even know that for sure yet! It was probably just another one of my freaky dreams!" but that sounded unconvincing to even my own ears.

If that had been a dream my mind tossed together Gene should've been in it, shouldn't he? Every other dream I had had in the past always resulted in seeing Gene's kind hearted face. I felt a little bit of heat rise to my cheeks.

Then I shook my head before continuing, "No, I think your right. Usually in my dreams Gene would appear, and in this particular one he didn't," suddenly an idea struck me, "Hey! You know how we've figured out that one of my abilities is astral projection, right? Maybe the car accident was an occurrence that happened just recently and my mind just wandered off,"

Monk tipped his head up in thought, bringing a hand up to scratch his chin, "Hmm, you mean like witnessing a recent death?" I gave an enthusiastic nod, feeling smart for once.

Ayako's voice broke through everyone's train of thought, "Well, even if that's true, someone should still be with Mai at all times just in case,"

Naru nodded from where he stood across from me, "I agree. We can't afford to lose her,"

I stared up at Naru in shock, did that invincible stone wall known as Naru just give me a compliment? My blood rushed to my face in one giant tidal wave, and I had to duck my head down to give me a somewhat cover with my hair.

Naru cleared his throat before continuing, "So someone needs to be with her at all times, it doesn't matter who. Spirits are less likely to attack when the target is with a group of people,"

I felt Masako's glare penetrate me even when I was looking down, "Don't ask me to be enthusiastic about it," she spat. I snapped my head up and offered her a heated glare of my own.

"Naru?" I asked, but was only answered by a cold silence. Naru had his eyes squeezed shut, pinching the bridge of his nose in concentration, "Naru," I tried again.

Naru turned to glare at me, "I'm thinking," he chastised.

I groaned, abruptly standing up from my black leather chair, "I'm going shopping," I declared. That got his attention.

Naru's head snapped up, "What?" He demanded.

"You heard me," I challenged, glancing around at everyone, "Is anyone coming?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of blue, and then Masako was by my side, "I may as well come, I have nothing to do anyways," She tossed a narrowed side long glare towards me, "However, I'm not going for your benefit, frankly I think we'd all be better off if that child dragged you to the depths of hell. I'm bored that's all,"

I stared at her, wide eyed. Talk about rude. I bit my inner cheek, snagging the remark that tried to pry its way out. When I spoke, my voice was controlled, "Well," I said carefully, "Shall we go?"

Xxx

We arrived at the grocery store shortly after, it turns out Masako wasn't lying earlier when she said she wasn't going for my benefit, the whole walk there she kept bragging to me about previous dates her and Naru had been on. I swear, it took all of my willpower to NOT knock out the mediums front teeth. Instead, I decided to drain her out.

Walking up to front doors, I fished a loonie out of my pocket for a buggy, then went inside.

The grocery store was surprisingly crowded today, rows upon rows of shoppers came today for the 'Great Bargains Starting From .99!'. Shoppers basically had to push themselves through the aisles, there were that many people... and not to mention the lines at the counters. Oh, boy.

My attention was drawn to a little girl with long, chestnut brown hair. Draped over her shoulders was loose, flowing white sundress. The girl clung furiously to her mothers arm, determined to not leave her side. I watched the girl curiously for a moment, she somewhat resembled the child spirit that had attacked me that night.

An irritated voice snapped at me from the side, "Mai!" Masako snapped, "Get a move on, your holding up a bunch of people!"

I grimaced at the tone of Masako's voice, she usually never snapped like that. It took a second for it to sink in that I was blocking off the entire entryway with my bulky buggy and behind me was a group of about seven people yelling at me to move. I mumbled a small 'sorry', then began to move throughout the aisles.

Approaching the sign that read 'Powdered Drinks' in bulky black letters, I turned sharply into it, fighting my way through a mass of shoppers for the tea. By the time I actually reached the tea, there were only a few flavors left, a few herbal teas, black tea, green, and Oolong. Deciding on the package of Oolong and mint herbal tea, I set out to fight my way back to the cashiers.

I had just reached the express lane when I realized that somewhere along the way I had lost Masako. Irritation and fear flooded through me, where was that idiot off to now?! Swiftly scooping the tea packages out of the buggy, I set out to find Masako. I thought that leaving the buggy there was the best thing for now, it meant I could find Masako and get out of this hell hole faster.

Wandering through the aisles once more, I began searching for Masako.

Slipping my hand into my jacket pocket, I plucked out my blue flip phone and searched for Masako's number. After a second of scrolling up and down I found it. Clicking the call button, I dialed her number.

She picked up on the first ring. A sigh of relief left my mouth, then was replaced by a wave of annoyance. I opened my mouth and was about to snap at her when I heard Masako's shaky and scared voice speak first, "Mai?" She whispered, "Is that you?"

"Masako?!" I exclaimed, plugging my opposite ear with the pad of my forefinger so I could hear her better, "Where the hell are you?! You're not supposed to leave my side-" my voice was cut off when the sound of Masasko's sobs travelled through the mic, "M-Masako?" I asked, uncertain of what was happening.

This time when she spoke, her voice turned frantic, "Mai!" She wailed, "I don't know what happened! I don't even know where I am, but she's here!" Her sobs intensified.

Every muscle in my body froze, "What?" I turned my voice more urgent, casting a cautious glance around, "Masako, tell me where you are," I instructed her slowly.

Her breaths were ragged now, "I can feel her," she whispered into the receiver. "She knows I'm here," a long pause then, "She's looking for me,"

"Masako!" I snapped, turning my voice more authoritative, "Where are you?!"

"I-I don't know," she cried, still keeping her voice low, "Um, it looks like the store room, there are a bunch of boxes of packaged food and-" Masako stopped talking and I heard her sharp intake of breath, "O-Oh my god, Mai," she was in hysterics now, "S-She's here,"

"Hold on!" I urged her, "I'm coming,"

"Hurry, Mai," she whispered, "She's looking right at me,"

Then static shorted out the line.

Damn it! I bit my lower lip as I began to move once more through the aisles. Packages of tea long forgotten, I raced towards the back of the store as fast as I could, ignoring the calls of protest from other shoppers. It took me a minute before I finally reached the back of the store. Looking around frantically, I settled my gaze on a set of plastic double doors. Breaking out into a fast walk, since it was too crowded to run, I approached the doors.

Ignoring the 'Employee's Only' sign, I barged straight in. A blinding light flashed before my eyes, and I took a step back, throwing an arm up to block it out. After a second, I got used to the light and realized I was standing in a long corridor with doors lining each side. Silently cursing whoever designed this building, I headed to the nearest one.

Small whirring sounds welcomed me into the deli section. Taking a quick glance around, I concluded that there were no boxes, and tried again. Bursting through the next door, I immediately knew I had chosen the right door. Stacks upon stacks of boxes were scattered everywhere, each one with a label showing what was stored inside.

"Masako?!" I called frantically, running straight into the storm of boxes, "Masako answer me!" I desperately yelled at her.

I almost collapsed in relief when I heard a shaky, broken voice answer me, "Mai!" Masako called back, sobbing.

"I'm coming!" I yelled right back at her, taking off in the direction of Masako's desperate plead.

A shrieking laugh from behind me glued me in place. My eyes widened in fear as I slowly turned to face that spirit I wished was not there. But, much to my dismay, she was. The child stood there, in all of her dead glory, smirking at me through her ugly, tormented expression. Her doe eyes flashed amusingly at me, "Hello, _mom_,"

Taking deep breath just to calm my nerves, I began monk's spell, creating the correct hand movement, "Naumaku-"

I choked, falling to my knees. It was like all of the air in my body had just been forcibly ripped out. I clawed at my throat, desperately trying to drag in some air, but it was no good.

The child laughed again, "If you really think you can escape me, you have a big surprise coming for you," I squeezed my now watery eyes shut against the pain in my chest. The child examined her nails like she suffocated people on a daily basis, "I told you, mommy. You. Are going. To Die," her voice was light and cheery.

"Mai!" Masako's trembling voice called. I heard a small thump as Masako dropped onto her knees beside me, felt her petite hands grip my right shoulder as she tried to sooth the child, "Please," she begged, "Don't do this. Mai is _not_ your mother,"

"_'Liar'_" the child screamed, and suddenly Masako's hand was ripped off my shoulder as she was sent sailing backwards.

Air rushed back in my lungs so force ably I doubled over and retched onto the floor. I stayed like that for a second, ignoring the now terrible taste in the back of my throat, allowing air to welcomely enter my awaiting lungs. Quickly tilting my head up to face the child, I got ready to say the spell again when I realized she wasn't there. Her attention must have been side tracked on Masako.

Still too dizzy to stand up, I crawled around in a circle until I finally located Masako and the child. Masako was pressed up against a stack of boxes that was now wobbling violently, with the child hovering over her yelling in her face.

"Do not interfere!" The child screamed at her, "You are not the one I want!" I helplessly watched Masako stare at the child with wide, terrified eyes before and idea struck me.

Making the correct motion with my fingers again, I began to recite Monk's spell once more, but this time in a bare whisper. It didn't matter if the spirit didn't hear it, just that it was being said. Opening my mouth, I began whispering, "Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan," I choked out, "Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan, _'Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan,_'" Quickly switching finger motions, I switched to the nine cuts. making the correct slashes, I began, " Rin... pyo... to... sha.. kai," I heard the child's cry of pure rage, she was obviously on to me now. I choked as the familiar feeling of having the air rushed out my lungs hit me again, though not as powerful. I choked out the last words, "...jin... restu... zai... zen!"

I could breathe again. I closed my eyes for a heart beat, silently thanking Monk and Ayako for those spells, then quickly raised my gaze towards Masako before calling to her, "She'll be back soon," I yelled at her, "We need to get out of here _now,_"

Shakily getting to my feet, I wobbled over to where Masako was. Grabbing her under arms, I hoisted her up. Masako wrapped an arm around my shoulder for support. She must've hurt herself when she flew back. Masako and I had just made it past the store room doors when we heard the child's cry of rage once more.


	4. Partners

**A/N: Well, here's Chap. Four! Cookies anyone? *Hands out a platter***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt in anyway unfortunately.**

I sucked in a mouthful of welcoming stuffy air as we burst out of the hallway and into the main store. Masako was still propped up around my shoulders and injured, her ragged breaths jolting me into action.

A few curious stares swept our way, but other than that, despite our horrible appearances, no one bothered us. Good.

Slipping my hand into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and dialled Naru. It immediately went to voicemail. Letting out a huff of annoyance, I tried Ayako.

She answered on the first ring, "Mai?" she asked into the receiver.

"Ayako!" I excalied, relief washing over me, "I need your help!"

"Why?" she asked, "Are you guys okay?"

I scoffed into the receiver, "If you mean am I traumatized after having a very heated encounter with my favourite child spirit, then yes, I'm fine,"

Ayako gasped, "What?!"

"Masako's injured," I urged, "I need one you guys to come pick us up, is that okay?

I knew her answer answer even before she spoke it, "Yeah, of course! I'll be there in twenty,"

Breathing out another sigh of relief, we said our goodbyes, then I flipped my phone shut.

A slow ache spread through my shoulder as I realized that Masako was leaning more of her weight on me. Despite her size, Masako was actually pretty heavy.

I groaned, trying to roll my shoulders beneath her arm to no avail. Wrapping my arm around the back of her waist, I gently guided her to the protruding lip of the dairy section.

She sat down on it with a small groan. My eyes racked up her form and just then did I realize how terrible she looked. And no, I'm not saying that just because Masako might not be my favourite person in the whole world. Her usually rosy cheeks were now as pale as a fish's belly, matching the rest of her. Masako's dark eyes were void of any trace of happiness… she looked scared and broken.

"Masako," I whispered in disbelief, making the young medium look up at me. I crouched down in front of her, and hiked up the bottom of her kimono a bit so I could see her ankle.

"What are you-" she protested, bending over to smack my hand away.

I swatted at her, "You're hurt," I said simply, and she hesitated, the anger swirling in her eyes slowing dying down a bit.

Lifting her skirt up a bit again, I gasped. Four long purple bruises ringed the front of her ankle. Finger prints. The bruises were an angry shade of purple, ringed with both brown and red. No wonder she was in so much pain.

Masako's head shot down at my gasp, "Is it bad?" she asked.

I hesitated then forced myself to shake my head, dropping her skirt back down so she couldn't see it at all, "No, it's fine," I said, a forced smile stretching across my face.

The medium narrowed her eyes at me, "Liar," she accused, "Let me see," she leaned over to look, but I desperately shoved her away.

"No!" I excalimed. Masako blinked down at me, shocked at my reaction. Now it was my turn to blink before re-gaining my composure, "I mean no," I tried to fix up my mess up miserably, "It's not bad but maybe we should wait until later until you see it,"

Her pupils narrowed further, obviously not believing my lame excuse, but she sat back with a small huff anyways, "Fine," she muttered, glaring at some poor onlooking shopper who just scuttled away nervously.

* * *

It took almost no time at all until the phone in my pocket chirped, signalling Ayako's arrival.

I gave a long, strained sigh as I stretched my arms over my head, feeling the welcome burn all the way down to my shoulder blades.

Glancing lazily over at Masako who was refusing to meet my gaze, I poked her shoulder, frowning as she cringed away from me, "Let's go," I said, standing up and offering her my hand.

She glared at me before nodding her petite head, and grabbing my hand. Balancing on one leg, I positioned her so her arm was wrapped around my shoulders once again and together we began to limp our way through the mass of shoppers, which was fairly easy since they practically made a small aisle for us to walk down.

It didn't take long until we reached the front, and saw a familiar pair of autumn red eyes glance our way, along with a matching head of hair.

"Masako!" Ayako exclaimed, jogging the rest of the way to us, and offering the injured girl her own shoulders, which she took greedily.

Once Masako was settled between us good, I began speaking.

"Ayako," I said, turning to look at her from around Masako, "Masako's got a nasty bruise on her ankle that you should look at,"

Masako shrank back slightly in our arms and stumbled, almost sending us all sprawling to the floor.

"Hey!" Ayako chastised, "Be careful," before turning her gaze back to me, "We'll check it out in the van, alright?" I nodded and she continued, "What happened. anyway?"

By the time I finished relaying to her our most recent events, we had already crossed the parking lot and were standing at the side of SPK's work van.

"Mai!" Monk called, jumping out of the passenger's side seat, "Are you okay?!" he exclaimed, gaze trailing over Masako.

I nodded and answered for her, "Yeah, she's not hurt too badly, just a bruise,"

Monk bit his lower lip, then opened the side door for us and we climbed in. We gave Masako the courtesy of having the front row of seats so she could stretch her legs across them. I sat in the back, and Ayako, being the rebel she is, crouched herself on the floor by Masako's feet to examine her bruise. She cringed when she saw it, making Masako look away in what almost looked like shame.

Silently, I watched from the back as Ayako began to examine Masako's ankle. Her red hair hung over her face, creating some sort of a curtain that separated her from the harsh reality, and her mouth pressed into a thin, white line. Slowly, but gently, I watched as she placed a finger tip lightly on one of the bruises, making Masako jump up and shove Ayako's hand away.

"Masako," she chided, levelling her glare, "I can't help you if you won't let me look at it,"

Masako grumbled, but her outstretched arm fell back.

A thought dawned on me as I watched. Ayako, with her slim fingers and kind eyes was kind of a motherly figure in my eyes, you could always count on her when fear or nervousness seeps in, and she'll stay by your side until it fades away.

Switching my gaze up towards Monk, I bit my lower lip in thought. If Ayako is a motherly figure, I guess that would make Monk a father considering Ayako and Monk are practically together.

Monk is a lot like Ayako, you can always rely on him when something happens, like when the child attacked me. I recalled how scared he had looked, seeing me battered and sprawled in the middle of the street.

What would Naru and everyone else be? Let's see, I lifted a hand, and began to tick off with my fingers the positions filled.

Mother, Father… Sister! Who would be my sister? I cast a glance towards Masako who was squeezing her eyes shut as Ayako prodded her bruises. I guess Masako could be sister towards me… not a loving sister, but one of those rebellious delinquents who loves picking on younger kids.

My eyes flashed at that thought, a slow smile creeping up my face. Delinquint Masako, now that has a nice ring to it.

Flicking up a third finger, I continued on down the line. Brother… who would become my brother? Naru is not necessarily brother material, but maybe John or Yasu…

The van screeched to a hault, sending us all jerking forward. My throat pressed into the seat belt, and a choking cough left my mouth.

"Damn it," I heard Monk hiss from up front.

Ayako's angry shout broke our shocked silence, "Monk you stupid lecher!" she snapped loudly, making us all wince, "What kind of stunts do you think your pulling?!"

I cringed back, practically feeling the dangerous arura radiating off the redhead.

"Sorry," Monk mummbled sheepishly, bringing up a hand to scratch the back of his head while the other gripped the wheel tighter, "Cat,"

We groaned in unsion.

A laugh bubbled up my lips and escaped my lips and I snapped down one of my three outstretched fingers.

Father? More like idiotic cousin.

* * *

"What?!" John exclaimed, jumping up from where he stat on the couch, "You were attacked _again_?!"

I frowned, settling my gaze on the floor, suddenly ashamed at myself for not protecting Masako better.

"Mai," Lin snapped, shocking me to the core. When I could tell that he was certain he had my attention he continued, "That was careless of you, Mai, losing Masako like that. I have better expectations of you,"

My eyes widened, here I was, getting scolded by a man who I was ninety-nine percent sure hated me, only to have him openly admit that he thinks better of me. My chest warmed, and I offered him a soft smile, which he frowned at, and looked away, feet shuffling irritably.

Everyone, had once again, gathered in SPK headquarters to chew me out. Well, everyone except Ayako, who unfortunately was tending to Masako. Usually when I do something 'childish', or so Naru likes to say, she stands up for me, but without her I was completely on my own.

Naru sighed from where he stood, resting the pads of his fingers softly against his forehead, "You are such an idiot Mai," he muttered.

I blanked, my nervousness replaced almost instantly by anger swirling thick in my gut, "Oh, _thanks_" I snapped at him.

He lifted his cool eyes towards mine and arched a dark eyebrow, "You're welcome," he offered, making me groan and stubbornly look away.

Monk's voice dissolved my anger, "Well this just means that Mai should be with someone more powerful at warding and/or protection spells," he looked at everyone directly before shooting a thumbs up, a crooked grin splitting his once determined face, "Like me!"

A giggled burst from my throat before I could stop it, and Naru looked over at me curiously, arching that same damn eyebrow. Damn him, why did he have to be so hot?"

"Very well," Naru sighed, straightening up, "Monk," he declared, staring at the giddy adult square in the face, "You are to guard Mai until we have this matter sorted out," turning around so his back faced us, he began walking away, still talking, "Now, don't you dare bother me, I'm busy with work." And on that note, the happy leader of SPK left the scene and left me with everyone else, staring dubiously after him.

"Who made him boss?" I grumbled, shooting a glare at my innocent shoes.

Monk laughed, standing up abruptly and striding over to me. I watched him uneasily as he approached, giving me a hard slap on my back that made me grunt in pain, "Well, 'partner'" he grinned, winking at me, "Where are we going now?"

I groaned.


End file.
